I've decided to keep the site online for the foreseeable future as a reference for Elantra owners. If you'd like to help with costs or still believe in this resource, please use the Donate link to help out. Thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Hope you are having a good day. Kendra and I went to my familys house for turkey and all the fixins. Eat to much and watched football. Now waiting for the Packers to play the Bears. Will be a good game. So what is everyone doing today?

My beloved wife Tammy was born 46 years ago today in Urbana, Illinois. Tammy was not just my wife and soulmate, she was my whole world. I miss her so much it hurts. The pain of Tammy not being here brings me to my knees. No words could ever describe how much love I feel for Tammy. She is forever and always my special girl. - Mitch

Went and took a photo I liked tonight. The first 4 photos are old-ish ones though. So here's...

a_v's 2002 Elantra GLS Sedan

Driven to secondary school in it every day for 5 years. Learned to drive in it. Took me to university every day for 3 years. Takes me to work every day going on 5 years. All my mechanical knowledge was honed on this car.After modding it all the way to potato, I have a metal personification of myself. Seeing, hearing, feeling every mod and repair you've done on your car is a nice feeling indeed.

Contest Rules

At least 5 but no more than 10 pictures of your car.If possible use high resolution photos.

Your complete mod list.Separate into categories if possible.

Any additional written information you'd like to tell others about yourself and your car.Purchase date, why you modded, your background, some history on your car, etc.

This will be replacing our Car of the Month contests. With only six contests per year we might just get more entrants... hopefully!

The winner will be featured on a permanent special page and have a pic of their car posted on our portal page for two months. The winning car's owner will receive a VIP club membership. Of course, current VIP's should enter as well, for the glory/pride. And.. the winner will be entered into the Car of the Year vote. Your car can be stock as well as modified. Last day to enter is May 25th, 2015.

As you guys know I'm going through the most difficult time in my life. My life without Tammy is pretty much unbearable... the pain and sadness overwhelming. As far as the future? I'm just trying to put one foot in front of the other and taking one moment at a time.

In early April, a member here PM'ed Leslie (Babyhyundai05), and told her they would match donations made for a limited time. Their idea was to help me in this difficult time by matching donations up to $500 total. I am very grateful that a number of members here responded by the April 25th end date. We received a total of $545. $225 from our donation system, $220 on Tammy's GoFundMe memorial page and a $100 donation made to my private Papal account by a member here. I'm overwhelmed by this type of generosity and caring.

Hopefully, the anonymous member who made the offer will come through. If so (and I'm confident they will), I may have enough funds to at least get the work started on repairing my house. It couldn't come a moment sooner. It seems that birds and/or animals have been taking over my attic.

I received a PM from an EC member who would like to remain anonymous. He's willing to match any donations made to the Tammy memorial GofundMe page or donations made to through the club's Paypal donation system or simply Paypal a donation to elantragt_02@yahoo.com directly. Meaning, if you donate say $50, to help Mitch, this generous member will match it, all the way up to total donations of $500. This amazing match offer begins today and ends April 25th.

Let's make this happen and help Mitch in a way that will make him feel like people do care.

I've gone ahead and lowered the costs of being a full ElantraClub member. The VIP memberships give you access to the game arcade and many additional perks like photo uploads in the Garages and additional photo upload space in the Gallery and posts.

It will be four weeks tomorrow that Tammy has been gone. I still can't believe I'm writing a post about Tammy as her widower. It still hasn't fully sunk in. I will admit that in the past couple days my grief had taken me to a very deeply sad and dark place full of hopelessness. A place where I honestly didn't know if I could go on without her. After all Tammy was my life. My reason for loving life. And for a few days of deep despair I didn't see any reason to live a life without my Tammy. I mean, honestly... what do I have? My soulmate, the woman I adore, my happiness... is gone. I don't have any real in person close friends. For those that don't know, our daughter Katie left home after graduating last June. My family (who haven't lost a spouse thankfully) don't understand what I'm going through. And I still am shocked that people can read that GoFundMe page and not be touched and want to help. Of course, I shouldn't take that personally as most just don't realize what it's like to lose a beloved spouse.

Tammy's passing was traumatic and unexpected and I'm suffering from a sort of post traumatic stress. Since I was also her caregiver for years, I am now lost and confused. And alone. Combine that with little to no emotional support and you can only imagine the turmoil in my mind and in my life.. And yes, I have given a passing thought or two or three to the prospect of joining Tammy in heaven. But... that's not who I am. I'm not suicidal although I can see where it's a temptation for some. As hard as this grief journey is, I'm taking it and letting my feelings and my tears out. The house needing repair, the bills needing paying, well, for now it's not getting done. It is what it is.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I started seeing a grief counselor today. I think she might be able to help. At least I know I need help.

Tammy was the perfect wife for me. Sure those medical ordeals we went through together were terribly scary and stressful. But we were fighting hard together as one... so ultimately, we could spend more time with each other. A friend of Tammy's told me that Tammy said no matter what, when she opened her eyes in the ICU or anywhere really, she knew Mitch would be there. And that made me feel so good and so loved.

She was my everything in life and I know she is still with me forever.

As you probably know, I lost my beautiful wife Tammy on March 6th due to complications of Lupus. She had just come home after another difficult hospital and rehab stay and I've never seen her so determined to get stronger. We had great plans for our future. Then suddenly, she was gone to heaven. Over the years she endured pain and medical challenges that would have made most people bitter or angry. Not Tammy. She lived with this cruel disease with a smile on her face and a positive attitude. She was amazing.

I feel lost and alone and empty right now. She was the reason I got up in the morning. She was not only my wife but my soulmate and my best friend. I've never loved anyone as much as Tammy and her love for me was overwhelming and made me a better man.

My life will never be the same but now I have to learn to live my life without her by my side. It truly won't be easy. I know she'd only want happiness for me, there is no doubt. Thankfully, she will always be with me. She is my angel and I think she's already doing her "work" as an angel first class up in heaven...

On my drive out to Illinois to attend Tammy's services, I found myself feeling drowsy. I kept pushing on though. I fell asleep at the wheel doing 75 MPH+. I was awoken by a very loud noise. What I saw was the left side of my car violently hitting and then bouncing off a concrete construction barrier. All I could think was.. "I'm not going to be able to even make it to Illinois". Surprisingly, the car seemed to drive ok. I knew though I had banged up my car pretty badly with an impact like that.

At the next rest area, I reluctantly got out of my car to see the damage. I was in complete shock... not a dent... not even a scratch! That's not even possible, that had to be Tammy doing her angel thing. I mean, she loved the copper metallic color of our car and she didn't want to see it get a bad boo boo. And let's face it, the sheet metal on a Forte isn't exactly great. If I drifted off ahead where there was no barrier wall, I would have continued to the other side of the highway where I might have been killed.

Tammy just wasn't ready to have me join her in heaven just yet. She's got some catching up to do with her dad. It's gonna be Cardinals season soon and now that she's off pain meds there's lots of ice cold beer to be shared.

I consider Mitch to be my best friend. I have never met him in person. But we have had tons of hour conversations on the phone for the last 9 years. Mitch was there for me when my marriage fell apart a few years ago. Even sent me flowers when I was in the hospital with emergency surgery for my gallbladder in 2008. He has given me advice about men and has helped me in a lot of other ways. He's been always honest and there to pick up the phone no matter what time to listen to my last drama.

As you may all know, his wife has been very sick for most of her life. When I met Mitch, she was working full time and never let her Lupus get to her. As the years went on, her health issues began to affect her daily life, but she was always happy and safe with Mitch. Mitch as always dropped everything to be with her in every medical situation.

Tammy lost her battle with Lupus. The call I received from Mitch this morning, was a call I never wanted. I want you all to know, Tammy put up a fight, and it's a fight I know I could never fight for so long. She is more strong then I ever could be. Please, keep Mitch and his wife in your thoughts and prayers. He needs all the help and support from his friends and peeps here at the club right now.